Four of Quest's basketball players donned the green and white of the Kermodes for the final time in the regular season on Saturday (Feb. 18).
Men's players John Pankratz and Vlad Smiljkovic along with women's players Nicola Hitchcock and Cynthia Lau were honoured with a brief ceremony recognizing their contributions to the basketball program before the start of the men's game on Saturday afternoon.
"I remember hearing from my friends that the first class to come to any new institution is taking a risk, but then they always get the credit of being the first," said Quest athletic director Toran Savjord. "It's actually harder for the second class to come and start because they don't get that credit of being first and it's still a big risk because there's not a lot of role models or established ways of doing things at a new university."
Savjord said he's proud to see the four players grow and develop as players and people.
"I'm proud to call these four individuals my friends," he said. "We've gone through some sweat and some tears and we've even gone through some coaches together, but we're still here and I'm proud of you guys for everything you've done in your four years here."
He added that all four players and their parents should be commended for trusting their respective futures to Quest basketball.
"For these four individuals to come and stick it out at Quest takes a lot of courage," he said. "They helped start these basketball teams and we've gone through a lot of losing but I'm proud to be a part of Quest Kermodes basketball and to see how far we've come in four years."
Hitchcock and Lau aren't quite done yet as the women's team will head to the playoffs. Men's head coach Sean Shook said it was a pleasure coaching Smiljkovic and Pankratz for four years.
"Vlad chose to red shirt for us for two years until Bryce [Froberg] graduated," Shook said, noting that Smiljkovic had to wait to receive one of the team's two import spots. "He did that which shows a lot of patience and he's shown a lot of maturity as a teammate."
He added that Pankratz has been a key member of the Kermodes team throughout his four years.
"It's big when guys make the commitment to get their degree," he said, noting that Pankratz is planning to follow in his father's footsteps and join the Vancouver Police Department after graduation. "He's done everything we've asked of him and always gives it his all on the court."
All four players were given a bouquet of flowers and ovations for their efforts over the four years. For more information on Quest athletics, visit www.questkermodes.ca.
